Taking newborn to the doctor...

[NewMum54321]

Posting here for traffic, but also because if I need some tough love this will probably be the place I get it. Currently sat in the waiting room at the GP...

DS is four weeks old (first baby) and I noticed a rash around the bottom of his face yesterday and it looked like it has spread this morning. It goes all around his head along his jawline and reaches the back of his head. It doesn’t look angry and he is completely fine within himself.

I’m not worried something is urgently wrong with him but the rash has definitely got my attention. I just have no idea what it is and it didn’t match anything on the NHS guide to rashes in babies.

Was I being unreasonable to bring him to the GP? Would you have? I’m also generally curious how often people bring/brought their DC to the doctor and whether anyone has any advice on where I should be on the ‘worry scale’ to go.

(Also... want to add that I’ve not really been an anxious so far, I think I’ve been very rational generally.)

Im sure its nothing but yes absolutely i would take my newborn- i wouldnt take the chance with a rash.
good luck

Yep I would have gone to the doctors too.

I think I would probably do the same but without seeing the rash that's the best I can offer. Could it be baby acne? My DD has this a few weeks in all around her cheeks but as I knew what it was I didn't have to take her to the Dr. It is very hard with newborns as you don't want to waste NHS time but you don't want to miss anything that could have prevented your little one from becoming poorly. As they get older you do chill out more, I've used NHS Direct 111 more often. Like the time I gave my toddler Calpol for teething not realising my DH had already given it to her. The call handler was amazing and then finished up by saying 'it happens all the time' haha. I am the mother her overdosed her toddler

Your baby is really young and you are absolutely right to take them to the doctor. Don’t worry about wasting medical time - they would much rather see you then not.

As an HCP I always say to parents in this situation - I would rather see a well child and reassure you, rather than have you worrying at home.

Never worry about taking brand new babies to be checked over. Honestly things can be ok and be nothing, or go wrong in the blink of an eye.

My year old nephew recently had a viral rash that had him covered in spots. GP said getting him checked was the right thing to do and they'd always rather see babies/kids.

As a newborn my eldest was at the doctor every week for valid reasons. My youngest, I think, has only been to the doctors four times in his life and he's 1.5 now

Your baby likely has a viral rash but it's always always worth getting it checked. A doctor once said to me you'll know within 24-48 hours if it's a virus worth worrying about or not

Yes definitely. When one of mine was a baby, they spent 4 weeks in neonatal. Within 2 weeks of being home they had severe thrush in their mouth, and couldn't feed at all. I booked her an emergency appt as it's all they had available.

The doctor was such a prick about it though and told me I was wasting NHS time and should have booked her in for the following Monday when they had appts available, but did prescribe her medicine for it.
He genuinely believed I should've left a premature baby who was still a week off her actual due date 3 days unable to feed. She would have ended up back in neonatal. Safe to say the health visitor wasn't happy with our treatment.

Always listen to your instincts! Hope your baby is better soon

At that age I would definitely take them. I took mine to GP for something that was nothing at that age and I told him I felt stupid for wasting his time. He said that with babies that age he didn’t think it was a waste of time, always best to get them checked if you are worried.

My friend who is a GP always tells new mums to bring their babies as often as they feel necessary and they (parents and doctor) will work out between them what warrants a GP visit and what doesn't. She does this to pick up on when it is the mother who might need more support or the baby does in fact have some chronic health problem which has vague or intermittent symptoms.

I think both her professional experiences where she missed that a baby was unwell and her experience as a mother makes her particularly cautious.

You 100% did the right thing! I felt like I visited the GP too much in those early days and now that my son is 10 months I've started to get the hang of things and don't worry so much.

Echoing PP my GP said that they'd always rather see a baby What did the GP say OP? How is your Son?

Wow you’re all so lovely thank you! I read a few of these before I went in and it reassured me so much. And actually the GP agreed! She told me it was absolutely fine to have taken him in.

Top points to PP who said baby acne, that’s exactly what GP said. He’s had baby acne on his cheeks for a week or so and was confident in that, this stuff just looked different (and more sinister!)

@BettyJune07 that’s awful!! We spent some time in neonatal and the key to keeping the babies healthy appeared to rest heavily on how well they fed, so a baby off their food would definitely need help. Baffled by that GP!

I’m my DDs first 6 months I went to the GP several times (at least twice with mystery rashes); it was never anything serious luckily but the doctors always reassured me that I should take her if I was worried about something. As they get older it’s easier to work out when they’re unwell enough to need a doctor but I don’t see anything wrong with taking a newborn if you’re worried.

Also my GP surgery always made time for babies as they said they’d rather see them than not.

My GP said you always take a baby to the docs, even if you're unsure, as it's so hard for parents to tell if anything is wrong, baby can't tell you and they go downhill quickly - she would rather see 99 babies who didn't need medical attention if it meant she caught the 1 who did.

For future reference, I have found this page on the NHS really useful. DS is 3 months old tomorrow. Also, 111 people are fab. You definitely did the right thing

www.nhs.uk/conditions/rashes-babies-and-children/

This is why I liked the family clinics in the medical centres we used when working wth the military. You saw a nurse first who then filtered out people who needed to see a doctor, a lot of visits made to GPs by mothers are for reassurance and the nurses were able to do that. If you were desperately keen to see the doctor it was always possible.

I know it was dreadful, and the reason she spent 4 weeks in was because of feeding problems. She had a tube in for nearly the whole time as she was so premature she hadn't developed the suckling action. At the time I was too worn out and just remember feeling so deflated by his reaction.

So glad your baby is okay, if you BF I've heard that putting your milk onto cotton pads and putting them on the acne really helps it go. :) x

Sounds like baby acne. Itll pass. All 4 of mine have gone through with it.